9/11 Memorial

     I have been hesitant to write about my trip to the 9/11 Memorial. The main reason is that I find the best way to describe it is "tragically beautiful". Have you ever been to a place that's so beautiful, yet so tragic, that you want to smile and cry at the same time? That was the 9/11 Memorial, for me. To so many, this place reminds them of all of the Americans that have died as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001, both on that day and because of the war that followed. But, it's more than that. It's a representation of how our entire country came together after this act of terror. I think that's what makes it beautiful. Anyway, keep an open mind and I hope you enjoy the photos.

Flags of the United States of American and 9/11 Memorial
in front of 1WTC

     If you're going to be in New York City, this is one place that you really don't want to miss. Tickets are free (although you can make a donation), but you have to reserve them in advance. Out of all of the touristy places that we went while there, this is the only one that I would  definitely visit again. You can reserve tickets and get other visitor information here.

The South Pool

     The South Pool is peaceful. Most of the people stay along the 2 edges nearest to the entrance. This picture is taken from the opposite corner.

The North Pool

     The North Pool seems to have a bit of a temper. In case you can't tell from the picture, this is the wall of water that headed towards us as we approached the North Pool. If you want to get close to it, I suggest a poncho or taking a change of clothes (although the closest public restroom is blocks away). I don't know if it's because of how they're rebuilding the World Trade Center (maybe the air flows differently than when the pools were first built), but walls of water come out of all sides of the North Pool. There is no way to see it without getting wet.

North Pool

     After we retreated to safety to check our electronics that were now wet, we saw this man heading towards the North Pool. See how high that water is going? It was making beautiful rainbows, but we were quite chilly after that.

Survivor Tree

     The Survivor Tree is amazing. It is a callery pear tree that was in the plaza of the World Trade Center. It was discovered and removed from the rubble in October of 2001. When it was found, it was only 8 feet tall and appeared mostly lifeless. It was taken to a nursery in the Bronx where it was nursed back to health. It stood almost 30 feet tall when it was returned to Ground Zero and was placed in the Memorial in December of 2010.